In 2023, the International Community Arts Festival, Rotterdam published a continued reflection and expansion upon our festival theme “The Sound of Change”, as well as the many activities, conversations, and ideas that percolated from this theme during ICAF 2023.

Three commissioned texts  are presented from community arts makers who were present during ICAF, who we felt truly embodied “the sound of change” and its many thematic tentacles.

The first of the commissioned texts is “Ubuntu Soundscapes of Change”, by artist, facilitator and theatre maker Bonface Beti. The essay, which draws from multiple contexts from across Africa discusses some of the fundamental methodologies used to bring about positive change.

This is followed by ‘Dancing into the Street’, part-prognosis, part-manifesto by Vital Schraenen of MetX Moving Music, Brussels, Belgium. In his text Vital calls, shouts, urges us to move our individual and collective bodies into our streets, and to make ourselves, our contexts, our hopes, dreams and visions audible and visible in public space.

The final contribution is ‘A practice of civil society: The Šančiai community opera, ‘Cabbage Field’, by community arts practitioners Ed Caroll and Vita Gelūniene. This text captures, in beautiful detail, the durational community process that went into the making of the Šančiai community opera. Simultaneously showing us what reclaiming and redefining traditional art forms, by bringing in participatory and community arts methodologies, can teach us about the creation and preservation of our civil societies.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to get your hands on ICAF “The Sound of Change”. The publication is priced at €10 (excluding postage).

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